Former Celtic player Charlie Nicholas has been critical of the plans to have an Old Firm derby played in Australia in a friendly tournament.
Both Glasgow rivals have agreed to play in the first edition of the Sydney Super Cup in November, which has caused an uproar with the fans due to its friendly format and the fact the game is being played outside of Scotland.
The game is set to be played during the winter break while the World Cup gets underway in Qatar is going to be taken place, so not all of the regular players will feature in the match due to international commitments.
Nicholas said in his column in the Scottish Express that the derby will “lose some of its prestige” if it gets played away from Glasgow.
He said: “It is the Glasgow derby and that is where it should remain. That is my opinion. If you take it to Sydney then it is no longer the Glasgow derby and I think it will lose some of its prestige. It wouldn’t be the same game.
“I don’t believe in it. I think it is wrong and I believe it should be pulled. I know people will say a lot of the English Premier League clubs pay big-money friendlies abroad. I know that but they are picking up multi-million-pound deals.
“Yes, Celtic and Rangers are getting paid handsomely, but Celtic went to Dublin for games and Rangers will probably do something similar as they build their own reputation up.
“I know it would be great for Ange Postecoglou going back to Australia. It will be great for him. I get that but it is not for me.
“I am pretty sure Celtic could find decent opposition in Australia without having to play Rangers and vice versa. So, for me, it should be a no-go.”
TIF Thoughts on Charlie Nicholas’ comments…
The idea of having a Glasgow derby away from Glasgow seems utterly ridiculous, but with the proceeds of the match being rumoured at around £3m, the clubs could benefit highly from the ‘friendly’.
However, the details must be released to the fans and for everyone to know the ins and outs of the game before it happens. The game must be ethically right and the clubs must make it clear that the reasoning behind having the game there is morally correct.
Having the game in Australia will make it difficult for many fans to make it, which seems unfair to those that haven’t missed a derby before, so even if the clubs benefit financially, there will be fans who remain unhappy.